CAPUTO: Sanders and Johnson have a lot in common -- despite differences

By Pat Caputo, For Journal Register Newspapers

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Standing side-by-side, in uniform at the prime of their respective careers, Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson would appear extremely different.

Sanders is 5-foot-8, Johnson 6-foot-5. Sanders weighed roughly 200 pounds when he played. Johnson is every bit of the 235 pounds he is listed in the game program.

Sanders was a running back. Johnson is a wide receiver.

They have starred in two distinctly different eras, Sanders in the 1990s, when NFL teams tried to establish the run first, and Johnson during the 2000s, when the league has been more pass-oriented than ever.

Itís never been much of a debate about the greatest Lionsí player of all time.

Itís simply, ďBarry,Ē one of those rare athletes so gifted and fondly recalled, all necessary is a mention of his first name, and everybody knows who is being discussed. But who in this town doesnít know ďMegatronĒ is Calvin Johnson?

You might get an argument or two from those who saw quarterback Bobby Layne and linebacker Joe Schmidt, and witnessed their Lionsí championship teams in the 1950s, about the greatest Lion, but even those fixated on long ago will concede Sandersí greatness. Itís like Whitney Houstonís voice or Steinbeckís prose. Indisputable.

Anything critical about Sanders is based on the way he faxed in his retirement to a Wichita newspaper, or didnít attend the Lionsí off-season programs regularly nor speak up to management about its ineptitude, if he were, indeed, feeling discontent.

It was never about his play. With a football in his hands, he was pure magic. An entire generation, not only this town, but across the nation, remember those runs with reverence.

Yet, his place as the greatest Lionsí player could be in question by the time Johnson ends his career.

In the midst of a strangely disappointing season for the Lions, Johnson is nonetheless threatening the NFLís single-season record for receiving yards. That record is not held by just any player, but rather Jerry Rice, who dominated his position like no other in NFL history.

Calvin Johnson is simply the biggest, fastest, strongest player every time he takes the field. He has shattered the myth any NFL receiver can be taken out of the game by double teams or zone coverages rolled in his direction.

He is an incredible talent with unquestioned competitive character. Like Sanders, he is a humble hero, who does his best work through example, not words. Unlike Sanders, he does not miss off-season workouts and odds are remote he will end his career as some mystery man.

When you think of truly great players in NFL history, there is a common thread which runs through most of them. It is championships. There have been exceptions - Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers in Chicago, Dan Marino in Miami, the slew of close-but-no cigar members of the Buffalo Bills. And Barry Sanders.

Sanders did have talent surrounding him. The Lions of the 1990s were classic underachievers. The last time the Lions won a playoff game, it was 1991. They beat the Cowboys. Yet, it was the Cowboys and their ďTripletsĒ (Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin) who won three Super Bowls, while the Lions wound their way around to eventually settling for eight years of Matt Millen. Itís a myth Sanders didnít have a good line blocking for him. That perception is certainly not fair to the legacy of perennial Pro Bowl selections Lomas Brown and Kevin Glover.

There are two visualizations of Sanders: His great runs and how each season ended inevitably with bitter disappointment. Before you knew it, his career was over. Sanders could have played longer, but he did play for a full decade.

People look at Calvin Johnson and see plenty of time for him to get over the hump Sanders couldnít, and to be the greatest player not only in the league, but also on a championship team. He is 27. Sanders walked away from the game at 30.

Guess that is what makes Johnsonís potential record-breaking season so bittersweet, doesnít it?

Itís impossible not to marvel at Johnsonís brilliance. Itís also difficult not to lament another season of greatness wasted on a non-winning season.

Barry deserved better than to not have a championship ring. This town can only hope Megatron doesnít suffer the same fate.

Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and a columnist for Journal Register Newspapers. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read his blog at theoaklandpress.com. You can follow him on Twitter @patcaputo98.